The only reason to start Christmas shopping early?

While some of us will wake up on Christmas morning in a cosy family home, with an excessively large turkey on the table and stacks of presents under the tree, there will be thousands of women and children who have had to leave behind everything and everyone they know to escape domestic violence, sexual violence and those at risk of female genital mutilation (FGM).

Every year thousands of women and children have to flee their homes in order to stay safe, spending Christmas in a safe haven with presents to unwrap, supported by the domestic violence charity Refuge.

For the last two years, the Refuge Christmas appeal has meant that every woman and child staying in their national network of safe houses have presents to unwrap on Christmas morning.

As Refuge say, 'The Christmas gift initiative is vital to ensure that refuges became places of joy on a day that has the potential to very bleak and hard.'

The good news? You can do something to help.

Alongside your normal shopping at John Lewis, buy a gift (or two) from Refuge's John Lewis gift list for one of the women or children staying at a safe house this Christmas. Whether it's a packet of play-dough for £4 or a Burt's Bees toiletry set for £12 - all gifts will be distributed by Refuge staff, nationwide.

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